"Sausage-less" Rolls

Life has been very busy for me lately - this is reflected in my lack of posts! 
I hope to be more motivated soon and share all the drafts that I have lined up waiting to be published. 

These "sausage" rolls were inspiration enough to get me started back at it again. They are super easy to make and they are very delicious. 

"SAUSAGE-LESS" ROLLS

To make 4 rolls you'll need:

2 tins lentils

1 Tablespoon each: nutritional yeast, onion flakes, soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon each: ground garlic, sage powder, liquid smoke and molasses

8 sheets filo pastry

Drain the lentils and combine them in a bowl with all the other ingredients except for the pastry.

Mash until the lentils have crumbled and the mixture resembles mince. 

Place a quarter of the mixture onto the side-middle of 2 sheets of filo pastry. 

Fold the side of the filo pastry in, then fold the edges up and roll until you reach the end of the pastry.

Repeat for the other 3 rolls.

Place on a lined baking tray and brush the tops with soymilk.

Bake in a 180C oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Best served while still hot from the oven.

Filo Fillers

Confession time:
I've had this post sitting in my drafts folder since February.... waiting for me to re-do the recipes and take better pictures. However, since filo pastry is such a rare treat in our home it hasn't happened! And we have refined our diet even more in the last few months so the chances of filo making a re-appearance are now even more rare than previously!
So you'll just have to trust me when I say that even though the pictures are not the greatest, that each of these is totally delicious!!!!!

Filo Fillers - Tasty Pastry Options

There is something tremendously comforting for me about rolling up filo pastry. 
I don't really know what it is..... 
Perhaps it's having to be so tender so the pastry doesn't tear.
Perhaps it's experimenting with the many different types of fillings. 
Perhaps it's the excitement of feeling like we're having something a little bit fancy for dinner even though it's really easy to make.
Perhaps it's the fun of brushing over them knowing that their pale skin is going to come out brown and blistered when it's baked.
Perhaps it's just knowing they are a real treat....

Whatever it is, I recommend you try these fillings! 
And be sure to let me know if you find rolling filo pastry just as comforting as I do!!!

Although they reheat well, the pastry is never quite the same as when they are fresh from the oven. 

For each of these recipes I will give quantities to make 4-5 pastries depending on how generous you are with your fillings.
The instructions are the same for each filling - just different ingredients are used. 
I recommend using 2-3 sheets to roll each pastry. I find that using just one sheet will tear and/or get soggy. And no-one like a soggy bottom ;-) 


Basic Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. 


Place approximately a 1/2 cup of the filling onto 2-3 sheets of the filo pastry in the center and roll the pastry up, being sure to tuck the ends in to minimalise leakage. 





Place on a lined baking tray and brush with plant milk. 

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Tomato and Bean Filo Rolls
4 chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tin drained borlotti beans
1 teaspoon salsa spice mix

Curried Pumpkin Filo Rolls
1/4 small pumpkin - cut into cubes and cooked til tender
1 tin 4 bean mix, drained
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 zucchini, chopped and cooked
1 teaspoon curry powder

Potato and Pea Filo Triangles
2 cups mashed potato
1/2 cup frozen peas, cooked
1 teaspoon Rogan Josh spice blend

(I boil the potatoes and peas together to make life easier. I also like to wrap these ones into triangle shapes just to be different!)

(This is an example of what happens if you overlook the milk-brushing part, still delicious but the pastry ends up really dry.)

Question of the day:
Do you use filo pastry?
What are some of your favourite fillers?

Quick Pear Tarts

I recently did an interview for Plant Plate about being a parent who follows a plant based diet.  
My daughter whilst enjoying eating plant foods, often makes it known to me that she wishes for some "vegan junk food", as she mentioned in the interview!
So with one last sheet of pastry left in the freezer & it nearly reaching it's best before date these tarts were made! 
Yes, pastry falls into the "junk food" category for me! And now that it's all gone I won't be replacing it, instead I am enjoying experimenting more with home-made pastry options.

This is a really quick & easy treat to whiz up when visitors are due, or for a special occasion dessert!
But most importantly of all..... my daughter LOVED them and felt like she was having real 'junk food'! 

QUICK PEAR TARTS

Remove a sheet of dairy-free puff pastry from the freezer & allow to soften.
Cut the sheet of puff pastry into quarters. 
Along each cut, add another cut 1cm to either side. 
Also cut 1cm around the edges of the sheet of pastry.
Spread the inner 4 quarters with fig jam but not going all the way to the edge (or other flavoured jam of choice). 

Remove the 1cm sections of pastry from the lining sheet & press them gently into the edges of the tarts as shown.

Slice pears into thin pieces and spread them over the jam.

Sprinkle some frozen whole raspberries and broken pieces over the pears.

Bake in a preheated 220C oven for 15-20 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.

Serve with chocolate coconut cream for added eating pleasure!

Don't forget to check out my friends blog at Plant Plate.com
It's full of wonderfully handy hints and is an amazing resource of information and advice for following a plant-based diet!

Apple, Fig & Walnut Strudel

 

I did promise the occasional treat, and again I'm resorting to filo pastry :-)

But yes, I have added some tweaks to my version of strudel to make it healthier. 

Instead of spreading the pastry with butter & breadcrumbs to create layers I have used soy milk & oat bran, and I haven't sprinkled it with sugar either!
And just for the record --> No, I will never be bothered to make my own filo pastry ;-)

APPLE, FIG & WALNUT STRUDEL

You'll need:

2 green apples

4 dried figs

1 orange

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup oat bran

2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

soy milk - roughly 1/4 cup

6-8 sheets filo pastry

Core the apples and slice into thin pieces. Dice the dried figs. Juice the orange and remove half the zest. Combine all of these in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. 

Crush the walnuts into little pieces and stir into the apple mixture.

 

While the apples are cooking, prepare the pastry sheets.

In a small bowl mix together the oat bran, flax seeds and cinnamon. (This will be used in place of breadcrumbs in tradition recipes to create the layers between the pastry.)

Lay 2 sheets of pastry on a flat surface and brush with soy milk. Lightly sprinkle the pastry with a layer of the oat bran/flax mixture.

Repeat this layering process until you are down to the last sheet of pastry - if you're pressed for time you can add 2 sheets at a time.

*Do not spread the top layer of pastry with the milk and oat bran.* 

On the top layer spread the apple mixture in a log shape towards the end, but leaving the edges bare to be tucked in.

Roll the pastry up, folding tightly and tucking the side edges in.

Brush the top of the strudel with soy milk & sprinkle with another layer of the oat bran/flax mixture.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Apple Crumble Pie

 

I haven't finished with pie yet.... can't have all the pie recipes being savoury ones!

Today I bring you a sweet pie.

APPLE CRUMBLE PIE

 

You'll need:

1 pie crust (see my recipe posted earlier for Mofo)

1 x 800g can pie apples

3/4 cup oat bran

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup demerara sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Pour the canned apples over the pie crust.

In a mixing bowl combine the oat bran, apple sauce, sugar and cinnamon.

Mix until crumbly.

Gently press over the apples.

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Notes:

You can use your own pie apples if you like. 

Sometimes I really enjoy stewing apples - however when I don't have the time these are great because they are sugar & salt free and they use Australian grown apples :-)

If you don't have demerara sugar, you can use brown sugar in place of it & substitute 1/4 cup oat bran with crushed almonds to add some crunch.

Submitted for Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your recipe at these blogs:
carrie on vegan

veggie nook

greenthickies 

Kids Lunchbox Club - Mighty Pillows

My inner health freak was cringing at the thought of sending this to school for my daughter. But then the mother side of me who wants her to grow up enjoying vegan food said that it was ok for a special treat! I don't want her to grow up feeling like vegan food is boring & plain or that she's not allowed a treat. 
With that thought in mind I proceeded to make her day by allowing this to sneak into her lunchbox!
This is easy enough to make in the mornings (well not those rushed mornings!!).

Lay a sheet of puff pastry out. Cut it into 4 strips lengthways.
Spread each strip with vegemite or other yeast spread of choice.
Cut a slice of tofutti cheese into 4 long pieces.
Layer 2 pieces of the cheese on each strip of pastry.

Fold the pastry over and over until it reaches the edge. Press the sides down well til they are mashed together. 
The pastry treat will look like a little 'pillow'.

Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 200C for 15-20mins until golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly before putting into your kiddies (or your own) lunchbox! ;-)

Don't like vegemite?
You can make these pillows with corn relish instead! Equally delicious I promise!

Mini Mash Pots

Here's another quick afternoon treat, or evening snack.

 I love a tasty inside ;-)

You'll need:

12 Egg-free gow gee pastry wrappers 

1 over-ripe banana

4 squares of dark chocolate

6 raisins

small amount of coconut milk 

Mash the banana well & grate the chocolate into the mashed banana.

Lay the gow-gee pastry onto a lined baking tray.

Put a spoonful of the mashed mixture onto the centre of each pastry piece.

 Put a raisin (or another cube of chocolate if you want an ULTRA treat) on top of the mash.

Lay another piece of gow-gee pastry on the top to make a lid.

Fold the edges over to seal the pastries.

Brush the tops with coconut milk.

Mmmmmm, shiny pastry ready for the oven.

Bake at 200C for approx 12 minutes or until golden brown.